League Protests Today's House Passage of Anti-Voter Amendment

For Immediate Release: April 26, 2010

The League of Women Voters of Florida strongly objects to the vote today by the Florida House of Representatives to place HJR 7231 on the November ballot. The League believes this measure and its Senate companion, SJR 2288, would undermine the intent of the FairDistrictsFlorida amendments 5 and 6 to bring fairness to the redistricting process in Florida.

The proposed constitutional amendment, brought forth in the last two weeks of the legislative session, seeks to confuse voters into thinking they are voting for reform when in actuality they are voting for the status quo. The League helped the Fair Districts effort gather nearly 1.7 million signatures of Floridians who are tired of the legislature drawing district lines to protect incumbent politicians and preserve political power. Now that the people have spoken and placed amendments 5 and 6 on the ballot, the legislature is trying to override their effort through sneaky and deceptive backroom maneuverings.

"The citizens of Florida should be outraged," said Deirdre Macnab, President of the League of Women Voters of Florida. "It's a despicable attempt by the legislature to avoid the will of the people and retain the power to draw districts to serve themselves, the political parties and not the voters."

HJR 7231 passed the House by two votes more than was necessary. Its Senate counterpart SJR 2288 will likely come up in the Senate on Tuesday. The League of Women Voters of Florida is calling on all Florida citizens to contact their legislators and urge them to vote NO on this sham amendment.

"This legislation should be called "Unfair Districts," said Marilynn Wills, Vice President and State Action Chair. "This is a Tallahassee power grab pure and simple."